Ghee was used in the making of a ghee masala dosa (the cone). Photo: Gabi Porter

Sandeep Agarwal knew not every business needed to be built on a new idea.

In fact, the signature item of his company, Pure Indian Foods, is ghee, a product that traces its origins all the way back to ancient India.

Ghee is made by cooking butter, then removing the milk solids. What remains is butterfat without the lactose and casein, which typically makes ghee a product suitable for people with sensitive digestions.

Born in India, Agarwal, who founded his company with his wife, Nalini, in 2008, had a couple of huge advantages.

As part of the fifth generation of a ghee-producing family near New Delhi, he has learned all the “ghee tricks of the trade.”

Another advantage was technical. Prior to launching Pure Indian Foods, he worked as a Wall Street IT specialist. With an eye focused on e-commerce, he designed an online retail-friendly website.

He also sells on Amazon.com, in some Whole Foods and in dozens of other retail food shops, including Kalustyan’s in Manhattan.